Editor’s Note: A version of this story was originally published March 30, 2023. It has since been updated

If you thought trying to get tickets to the Masters was difficult, getting invited to play in the tournament itself may feel like climbing Mount Everest.

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Augusta National prides itself on exclusivity, but of all four major tournaments, the Masters boasts the smallest field — typically around 100 players get invited.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

There are no qualifying tournaments to play your way into the field. No sponsor exemptions to get a fan favorite a tee time, either. There are just 19 possible ways to qualify for one of golf’s greatest challenges and each one requires a major career accomplishment.

Here is how to qualify for an invitation to the Masters:

1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
2. US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
3. The Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
5. Winners of The Players Championship (Three years)
6. Current Olympic Gold Medalist (One year)
7. Current US Amateur Champion (7-A) (Honorary, non-competing after one year) and the runner-up (7-B) to the current US Amateur Champion
8. Current The Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year)
9. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion (One year)
10. Current Latin America Amateur Champion (One year)
11. Current US Mid-Amateur Champion (One year)
12. The current NCAA DI men’s individual champion (one year; must remain an amateur);
13. The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year’s Masters Tournament
14. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s US Open
15. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s The Open Championship
16. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s PGA Championship
17. Individual winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from previous Masters to current Masters
18. Those qualifying for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship
19. The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
20. The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

That’s it. Those are the only opportunities available. Which makes sense when you want to call your tournament “The Masters”. Multiple players will qualify in more than one way, but winning a green jacket is the only way to guarantee yourself an invitation back every year for life.

This includes any golfer who defected to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and was suspended by the PGA Tour.

In 2024, only 86 golfers were invited to play at the Masters with 12 of those earning their way into the field solely because they previously won the tournament. That includes all-time greats like Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia.

Past champions Trevor Immelman, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Angel Cabrera and Tom Watson have declined the opportunity to play this year.